Vegas Baby!
by recumbentgoat
Summary: Spock and his cousins meet up with Kirk and the gang in Las Vegas for Spock's bachelor party. There are some unusual developments that concern Kirk, but all are determined to have a good time. This is influenced by The Hangover. Follows 'Coming Home'
1. The Ritual of Male Bonding

**Character/Pairing:** Spock/Uhura, Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, Chekov, Sulu, OCs  
**Rating:** T  
**Summary:** Spock and his cousins meet up with Kirk and the gang in Las Vegas.  
**Warning:** Swearing. Possible OOC behaviour.  
**A/N:** Takes place after Coming Home, K [1-3]. This story is highly influenced by the summer movie The Hangover, proceed with caution. You can check out my wordpress site for some great .gifs and pictures that I post along with my stories. Thanks again to everyone who's been reading and commenting! A special shout-out to angym who I can never reply to to say thank you! So-thank you! :D

* * *

Spock and Hasan hurried through Logan Spaceport, looking for Spock's cousins Brian and Caio. They had boarded a direct shuttle to Boston, leaving Uncles Reggie and Daniel behind at Wangari Maathai Spaceport almost two hours ago. It was now four in the afternoon and Brian had promised that he and Caio would meet them at the boarding gate to Las Vegas.

'Spock! Over here!' Two men called to them, their arms waving them over, standing in front of a long line of people waiting to board the shuttle.

Hasan grinned and looked at Spock, amused to see such an unabashedly joyful reaction toward the somber man, that this remote Vulcan would have very human relations so excited to see him. He had not had a chance to talk with Spock much on the shuttle ride from Nairobi since Spock deigned to meditate for the entire flight.

And now, Spock remained unmoved by his cousins as he offered the standard Vulcan greeting. Hasan appraised the two olive skinned men, both perhaps older than himself. One with curly black hair, a muscular build and green eyes and the other, just as big but slightly taller with close-cropped hair, dark eyes and a smirk.

This last one shook Hasan's hand enthusiastically, 'I'll shake your hand instead of Spock's. Hasan, right? Good to meet you. Welcome to the family! I'm Caio and this is my younger brother Brian.' He then clapped Spock on both shoulders, 'Well, cuz! Lookin' good!'

Spock nodded once, allowing himself a small smile, 'You seem to be in good health, Caio. As do you, Brian. But we will be late if we do not board now.'

Brian was bouncing up and down on his toes, 'That's what we wanted to tell you, man! We've got a private shuttle!' He grinned and raised his arms up in the air triumphantly, causing some people around them to stare at the unlikely group as they passed by.

Spock hesitated, his eyes flicking around to the passerbys that streamed around them, 'I see. This would be the so-called _surprise_ you refused to disclose when I called to invite you to my bachelor party?'

Caio slung his arm around Spock's stiff shoulders, 'Now Spock, we couldn't let this opportunity pass us by! This is about Vegas! We need to arrive in style! Come on!'

They hitched a ride through the spaceport to get to its other side, where private shuttlecraft were docked. Caio and Brian led the way, ducking through the low doorway and into a luxurious shuttle interior of dark inlaid wood and cushy seats.

Spock and Caio went up front, with Caio talking animatedly about the craft's capabilities. Brian and Hasan went into the back to stow everyone's bags. The two young men then plopped into black, overstuffed chairs and laughed nervously after there was an awkward pause between the two.

Brian looked over at the skinny guy next to him, 'So, you want something to drink, Hasan? I've got beer and soda. And why don't you turn on the vid while you're at it? We'll only be up in the air for a couple more hours. We've got time to watch a holo if you like...'

'That's ok, Brian. I'll take a soda and the news would be fine. It's always interesting to watch what's going on in another part of the world.'

Spock fastened his seatbelt as he listened to Caio point out the layout of the shuttle controls and turn on the engine, 'How old is this model, Caio?'

'This year's. You don't like it, boss?' He grinned at his older cousin, unable to resist the easy habit of needling Spock, but curious to see his reaction to what had been essentially purchased with Spock's money.

'It is comfortable and and I know this model handles efficiently. I imagine your clients are suitably impressed with its gaudy embellishments.' Spock quirked his eyebrow at his cousin.

He smiled, 'Oh, I know _some_ people prefer function over form, I guess that's why Starfleet likes you so much, Spock.' Caio deftly manuevered the small ship away from the dock. 'Look, Rachel wanted me to thank you again, Spock. You have no idea how much this has helped us...'

Spock sighed, 'You and your wife have already thanked me several times. It is utterly illogical to keep expressing gratitude for...'

Caio laughed loudly, 'I know, I know! I've explained this to her. But we couldn'tve afforded it on our own, not so soon. Well, you know the deal. And she said it didn't seem right that we hadn't thanked you face to face. So, be prepared for a very long, heartfelt thank-you when you see her. And maybe tears- and a hug.' He laughed again when Spock openly blanched at the warning.

Hasan sipped his soda as he and Brian hung out, chatting about the different things they wanted to see and do once they got to Las Vegas. He was in mid sentence, telling Brian of the universally acclaimed burlesque performer, Tahrella Procyon, when Brian became suddenly distracted by the vid.

_'...revealed earlier today to GNN by an anonymous source of the following images from the battle at Earth Outpost Four against the Romulans....'_ An image of a Romulan warbird appeared onscreen, followed by a male Romulan in military uniform. A male Romulan that looked exactly like a Vulcan. _'...where several hundred Federation personnel were murdered at Earth Outposts Two, Three and Four...'_

Brian and Hasan looked at each other, stunned as the newscast continued.

_'...stunning development was followed closely by an announcement from Starfleet Headquarters decorating the captain of the Enterprise, James T. Kirk, for defeating the Romulans in that battle.'_

Brian called up front, 'You better come take a look at this, Spock!'

Kirk shook hands with the admiral, who'd just affixed a medal of honor onto Kirk's gold uniform. He then turned to the reporters present and began thanking Starfleet.

Spock and Caio came over to join the others, watching the press conference.

_'...without the dedication of the officers and crew of the Enterprise. And for their calmness and bravery in battle which deserve....'_

_'What of the Romulans, Captain Kirk? What was your reaction when you saw that the Romulans were Vulcans?'_

The anger on Kirk's face flashed for a moment, barely concealed, _'Romulans aren't Vulcans. They're of a different culture. They are not our allies, the Vulcans.'_

_'But what of your first officer, the Vulcan Spock? What was his reaction when everyone found out that the Vulcans lied about their relationship with the Romulans?'_

_'Spock's a Vulcan. He doesn't react. And I don't speak for Vulcans, but there's no relationship with Romulans outside of a shared ancestry thousands of years ago.'_

He's about to say more, but Kirk is interrupted and led away by other officers and the press conference is ended by an admiral who makes some remarks about the families of those who died at the Earth Outposts.

The three men turn to look at Spock, who was openly frowning and everyone started speaking at once. Spock shushed them as the newscast continued.

_'Sarek, the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth, was not available to make a public statement responding to this new information about the Romulans. His staff, however, released a rather terse statement pointing out the historical divergence between the two species and suggested that reporters...and I quote, 'take the time to educate themselves on the vast differences in philosophy, culture and ancestry that exist between the Romulan Empire and Vulcans,' endquote. _

Footage of the Vulcan Embassy in San Francisco shows on the vidscreen while the newscaster continues. _'Although it was not confirmed by the embassy, the Vulcan Ambassador travels to Nairobi Kenya today with his family for the wedding of his only child, Spock, who will marry Nyota Uhura, chief communications officer of the Enterprise. There are rumors that T'Pau, the leader of Vulcan, will also be in attendance, but this has not yet been confirmed...'_

Spock turned away from the newscast and went to the front of the shuttle. Caio and the two others exchanged concerned looks before they continued watching the rest of the news. Spock's voice could be heard, lowly placing a call to Nyota.

* * *

McCoy watched as Kirk knocked back a whiskey shot and then waved for another one from the very shapely hotel bartender, 'Jesus, Jim! Would you slow down? You just got pinned with a medal, it couldn't have been _that_ bad.'

He grimaced from the burn in his throat, but kept his voice low, 'No, it wasn't. I just didn't appreciate getting used as a diversion from 'fleet's friggin' incompetence. It's shit like this that makes me wish we hadn't come home.' Kirk winced as soon as the words left his mouth.

McCoy glared at Kirk, 'Easy for you to say.' He sighed and then drained the rest of his stale black coffee.

'Sorry, Bones. I don't mean it like that. I just hate dealing with this shit. Just tell me straight out that someone fucked up. They knew this was going to happen, couldn't stop it and needed something to cushion the blow, which was _me_.' He knocked back his second shot, then, 'Bastards.' Kirk shook his head when the bartender smiled and offered to pour another shot.

McCoy frowned, trying to ignore the bartender while studying Kirk's profile, 'Whadya mean they knew this was going to happen?'

Kirk's eyes hadn't left the backside of the retreating bartender, 'Oh come _on_, Bones, doesn't it strike you as more than coincidental that they give me a medal on _this_ day? Of all days when there's a tip off about the Romulans? They could've given it to me before.'

'I don't get it though. So the Romulans look like Vulcans, big whoop...'

He sighed and turned back to McCoy, 'Seed of doubt. And a great way of embarrassing the Federation and the Vulcans.'

'Well, that's probably true.' He shrugged, 'But to what end?'

'I have no idea, Bones and right now, I'd rather not think about it. You talk to Spock yet?'

'No, but I talked to Ny and _she_ says he's on his way with her cousin and two of _his_. I'm just getting used to the idea of that gremlin marrying my girl and now I'm kinda finding it hard to believe that Spock has _human_ cousins. And that they've got a _history_ together.' He grinned.

'Mhmm, and you just can't wait to deconstruct the entirety of Spock's family relationships can you?' Kirk shook his head in mock disgust, then, 'You ok with all of this Bones? I know you like to joke about Ny and all, but sometimes...'

'Oh for godssakes, Jim. I did my crying over that girl a long time ago.'

He stared at McCoy in silence for a moment, 'Ok, Bones, if you say so. You gonna cry over Samara too?'

McCoy sputtered, 'God, you're such a _jerk_! I'm not even going to _dignify_ that with an answer.'

Kirk snickered, 'Fair enough, Bones. You know I love you.' He slapped McCoy on the back and then leaned against the bar, 'Well, it was good we invited the young ones to come along, it'll be a good mix.'

'Yeah, and speak of the devils, here they come.' He nudged Kirk with his elbow and pointed with his chin at the two approaching the bar.

Chekov waved, 'Keptin! Congratulations on your honor!' He was grinning widely and shook Kirk's hand vigorously.

Kirk laughed back, 'Thank you, Pavel. But please call me Jim for now. Hey, Hikaru! Glad you could make it!' He shook Sulu's hand and slapped him on the shoulder, 'We're just waiting on Spock and his cousins. And Scotty of course....'

Sulu sidled up next to McCoy, 'Oh my god, you're _teetolling_ today?' He shook his head, 'Hey bartender, can you get me a Three Nippled Martian?' He turned to Chekov, 'You bring ID, Pav?' When Chekov nodded, Sulu added, 'And a Furry Purple Squirrel.'

McCoy scoffed, 'Unbelievable, I can't believe you're getting girlie drinks.'

The others laughed and despite Kirk's admonition to not talk about the news leak, it was everything the four could discuss. And they continued in heavy discussion, moving to a booth where Scotty later found them, throwing down his duffel bag on the floor.

'Och, lads, ye have no idea what I had to do to get here. Phew!' He sat down heavily and leaned his head against the padded back, feigning exhaustion. 'And I'm _starvin'_! When can we eat?'

* * *

They were finally sitting down to an early dinner, around four in the afternoon, with Spock and his cousins, after Kirk had checked them all into the penthouse suite, much to the surprise of everyone else. Kirk had shrugged casually, saying it was a small way to thank them all for saving his ass so many times. They spent a few minutes throwing their gear into their rooms and marveling at the view from the different balconies, before Scotty's harping about dinner drove them out the door.

McCoy observed Nyota's cousin, Hasan, who looked barely eighteen, interacting rather shyly with Kirk, asking him questions about his early days on the Farragut. He looked over at Brian and Caio, who were consulting their menus, peppering each other with questions back and forth over what they were going to get. Sulu and Scotty were already ordering a round of drinks for everyone and Spock....Spock was taking it all in, arms folded and bemused even, to be in the midst of so much congenial _human_ chattering.

Spock raised his eyebrow when he saw that McCoy was watching him, 'You are not indulging with the others?'

McCoy shifted in his seat, 'Someone's gotta be the sober one.' He shot a look at Hasan, 'Plus, there are _minors_ here.'

'Leonard, Hasan is twenty-two and meets the age requirement for participation in many activities here in Las Vegas.' Spock turned to Hasan and raised his eyebrows, looking for confirmation.

Hasan nodded and then laughed when Chekov patted him on the shoulder, 'Stick with me, kid. I'll show you everything you need to know.'

Sulu scoffed, 'Pav, you've been carded everywhere we go. I told you that you should've grown a beard or something.' He then pulled out a pair of dark sunglasses and put them on, 'Check out my new toy, guys. I'll be recording this evening's shenanigans with these.' Scotty and Chekov oohed and ahhhed when Sulu passed the sunglasses over to them for their examination.

The waiter came by at this point and it took several minutes to place their orders with Scotty changing his mind every other second. McCoy and Kirk exchanged looks when they caught the waiter staring at Spock, who was carefully reading out the ingredients of a double dark chocolate milkshake from the menu. When the waiter confirmed the ingredients, Spock ordered one and then asked for a salad, prompting a guffaw from his cousin Brian.

'I'm glad you're joining the party, Spock.' Brian teased, 'Wait 'til I tell you guys about Spock's first brush with chocolate.'

Spock gave him a quelling glance and raised his voice over the men's laughter, 'Thank you, Brian, however, I am sure the others do not need to hear your exaggerated secondhand story.'

Kirk cleared his throat, 'Well, Spock, Bones says you still need to get a ring for Nyota. I think that's something we can swing after lunch. Then, it's up to you guys what you want to do first. There's a nice stripper joint....'

'After I purchase the ring, I would like to place it with you for safekeeping, Jim.'

'Uhhhhhhh.....' Kirk trailed off, puzzled.

Spock raised his eyebrows, 'It is a human custom, is it not?'

McCoy chuckled, 'Yeah, it is, Spock. Don't lose it Jimbo.' Laughing again when Kirk glared at him.

'Then, there is a museum of important historical figures that I would like to visit....'

Scotty and Sulu groaned, then Chekov said, 'But vhat about the strippers! And Hasan wants to see Tahrella Procyon....as do _I_, of course.' He grinned at Hasan, who laughed.

The waiter came back with their food and drinks, while Kirk started rattling off some different nightclubs they could go to and Sulu piping up that there was a new roller coaster that he was anxious to try out.

McCoy frowned at Spock, who was frowning down at his salad, picking over the leaves, 'Well, what's the matter now, Spock?'

'There are foreign objects in my salad.' Spock scooped something up with his fork.

'What? Let me see!'

He placed a nugget of something onto McCoy's plate of crab legs and McCoy popped it into his mouth and chewed, 'Damnit, Spock, that's a candied pecan! Give them here, you uncivilized hick.' The others laughed.

Spock sighed, but dutifully placed each pecan onto McCoy's plate, then took a very long draw through the straw of his double dark chocolate milkshake.

Kirk laughed at him, 'You're already driving him to drink, Bones. You really out to pace yourself. Watch Spock...' And started laughing uncontrollably when Spock stopped suddenly and grimaced.

'Spheno Palatine Gangleoneuralgia,' Spock said as everyone laughed and asked each other what the hell _that_ meant.

McCoy howled, 'Press your thumb into the roof of your mouth, dumbass. And be careful, you're more susceptible to brain freeze than the rest of us.' He giggled and wiped away a tear with his napkin.

Kirk, taking pity on Spock, tried to stop laughing and raised his glass of beer to a man, to a Vulcan he never thought he'd consider as his brother, 'I'll take this opportunity to interrupt and help Spock preserve his dignity.' He laughed as the Vulcan flushed green, then, 'Don't worry, Spock, we'll _all_ take this to the grave. But first, I'd like to make a toast to Spock, my right arm and the _best_ officer, the best _friend_ a guy like me could have. You've saved my life more times than I could ever count. It's been a helluva mission and I'm so glad, so grateful really, that you were there. I wish you all the happiness in the universe, my friend. You and Nyota deserve the best of everything.'

He took a sip as the others clapped and cheered, 'Here, here.' and 'You lucky devil!' from Scotty. Spock bowed his head in thanks and then sipped his milkshake.

Kirk grinned and continued, acknowledging the others, 'And finally, to great friends and to new friends and to an _awesome_ time in Vegas!'

* * *

McCoy slowly opened his eyes as he felt someone step over him, the sound of bare feet retreating faintly down the hallway. He blinked blearily, unable to make out who it was that went into the bathroom. He groaned, and for a moment, couldn't move his face because it was sticking to the floor. His head hurt, it fucking _throbbed_. His body hurt too. And where the _hell_ was that clucking sound coming from?


	2. Bad Moon Rising

**Character/Pairing:** Spock/Uhura, Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, Chekov, Sulu, OCs  
**Rating:** T  
**Summary:** The boys wake up to a trashed hotel room and severely fuzzy memories.  
**Warning:** Lots of swearing!  
**A/N:** This is an homage to The Hangover. Takes place after Coming Home. And omg, this was so hard to figure out--there's a lot going on all at once. lol

* * *

McCoy slowly pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, then groaned and closed his eyes as he fought off the dizziness and nausea. He'd never had a hangover like this in his _entire_ life. He wanted to crawl into a dark hole and never come out of it. After collecting himself, he crawled over to a wall and braced his arm against it so he could try and stand.

He staggered then shuffled forward and looked down just as a chicken bawked and pecked his bare foot.

'Shit!' Startled, he jerked his foot away, 'Jim! Where the hell are you!' His hand trailing on the wall, he limped down the hallway into the living room and shouted, 'Jim!'

It was utterly trashed and dark in the living room of the penthouse suite, the curtains drawn against the three-sixty panoramic view of the city below. McCoy squinted at what little light there was that made it inside. Holes had been punched into the walls and ceiling and there was shattered glass and plates on the floor. Smoke wafted up from one of the overstuffed chairs and there was a dark smear of what appeared to be blood on the hard wood floor. There were blood drops that led to an eviscerated chicken carcass with feathers scattered around. Dread knotted his stomach and he opened his mouth to yell for Jim again when he was pre-empted by a high pitched scream that pierced the silence in the suite.

Just then, Kirk popped up, shirtless, behind the couch from the floor, 'Red alert! ..whut..?' He winced and put his hands over his face, moaning.

'There's a tiger!' Scotty came into the room, hopping from one foot to another and dressed only in a white t-shirt, 'I was just tryin' to pee and there's a fuckin' _tiger_ in the bathroom! My god!'

'What?!' Chorused McCoy and Kirk.

Eyes wide, Scotty pointed and jabbed repeatedly in the direction of the bathroom, 'There's a fuckin'....'

McCoy bellowed, 'We _heard_ you, damnit! How did it _get_ there?!'

He gave the doctor an incredulous look, 'Well, how the _hell_ should _I_ know?'

'Jesus, Scotty! Could you put some fucking pants on? I don't need to see your shit swinging around!' Kirk got up stiffly from the floor, groaning again.

'Oh! Sorry. So what're we goin' to do? And what happened? I can't....' But Scotty had already disappeared down the hallway, muttering on the way to his room.

Kirk's hands were on his knees, before he straightened carefully, 'I feel like I went three rounds with the Gorn. And I lost. Oh! Oh god!' He winced in pain and stopped for a moment, his hand on his back. 'Shit, I think I just pulled something.'

'What's that on your back?' McCoy frowned and went over to Kirk, gently turning the man around. He blinked for a moment before he erupted uncontrollably with laughter.

'What, Bones?! What's so damned funny?!' Kirk's hands were on his hips, royally pissed.

McCoy slapped Kirk's shoulder, chuckling when his friend flinched, 'Oh Jim! I don't know what the hell we got up to last night, but you really need to see what's on your back.' He wished he could say it was nice, but it was so badly done, he didn't have the heart to twist the proverbial knife.

Kirk turned gingerly, craning his head over his shoulder, before cursing, '_Damnit_, will you just _tell_ me what's on my damned back?! It smarts like hell!'

'It's a tattoo of the Enterprise!' McCoy laughed so hard he started coughing, putting his hand on his chest and winced.

Shocked, Kirk turned around and stuttered, 'Wh-what?!'

'Don't make me repeat myself, Jim. Just go find a mirror and look for yourself.' McCoy frowned as he pressed his fingers into his chest. 'Huh, my skin feels extremely tender too. Damnit, I hope I didn't get some lame ass tattoo....' He whipped up his shirt and looked down at his chest. He did not like what he saw there. At all.

At this point, Scotty had come back with an exceptionally bedraggled Sulu and the two stopped short and laughed hysterically at McCoy. Kirk stared at McCoy's strangely tufted chest and covered his mouth in mock horror.

'Shut up, Sulu! You sound like a damned constipated goose!' McCoy snapped. He looked back down at his chest. He picked at some dried blots of blood on the two long, strips of naked skin on his chest. Apparently, he tried to have his chest waxed...

'It's like two criss-crossing landing strips carved into the wilderness...'

'Shut it, Jim!' McCoy shifted uncomfortably, fervently hoping that it was only his chest that had been waxed. He'd have to wait until he could get some privacy before he could check that other area.

But then Scotty had gasped, 'Doc! What happened to yer tooth?' He pointed at McCoy's face.

Kirk smirked, 'Yeah Bones, and what the hell's the matter with your face? It looks like you got punched in the mouth. There's blood caked on your chin.'

McCoy's hand flew up to check his mouth and suddenly- his tongue was pushing against nothing but air. 'My....my fucking _tooth_! Where the _fuck_ is my tooth?!'

The other men could only look at each other and laugh. Sulu slapped Scotty on his back and the two collapsed in each other's arms while wiping tears from their eyes.

'This shit ain't funny! I've never been hung over like this in my damn life! And that's sayin' a lot!' McCoy shot daggers at the two. 'Let me ask you two hyenas something: You remember anything from last night?'

Scotty and Sulu abruptly stopped laughing. Then looked at each other and back at McCoy and Kirk, shaking their heads.

'Computer, what time is it?' Sulu queried.

_'....'_ There was only a long hiss from above.

'Well, _that_ can't be fucking good!' McCoy groused.

Kirk jerked back one of the heavy curtains that were drawn over the floor to ceiling windows in the living room and frowned at the lightening sky, 'Damn, it's dawn already. Jesus, what _happened_? I can't reme....'

'Damnit Jim, that moon's not _setting_! It's _rising_! We've lost a whole fucking day!'

'What?!'

He rolled his eyes at the three's synchronous response, 'I _said_. We've. Lost. A. _Day_! It's the next night. And we've got a _big_ problem, Jim.' He locked eyes with Kirk and raised his eyebrows pointedly.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes, 'Oh _shit_. Where's Spock? Why the hell didn't you _warn_ me?!' Kirk glared at McCoy as he passed him by to check the bedrooms for the Vulcan.

McCoy called after him, 'Damnit Jim, I'm just a doctor! Not a fucking almanac!' But he fumed. He'd gotten so caught up dealing with crew physicals and home life that the thought of Earth's moon affecting Spock had _completely_ slipped his mind.

Scotty looked around, 'Hey, where's Hasan? And the rest of the guys?'

Sulu was at the window and pointed, 'There! On the balcony.' He opened the balcony door and rushed to Hasan, who was curled up on his side. 'Hasan! Hey there buddy, you ok? Len! Look at him!'

McCoy knelt by the prone man and shook his shoulder gently, 'Hasan?' He looked at Sulu, 'He's out of it, but I really need to get my tricorder....'

Surprised, Sulu looked at McCoy, 'You brought that?'

'Of course, I did! Hey, Scotty, can you go into my room and get my black bag? My tricorder's in there.' Scotty turned and went back inside as McCoy called after him, 'It's at the foot of the bed! Or at least, it should be.' McCoy turned back to Sulu, 'Look, Sulu, do me a favor and help Jim round up Chekov, Brian and Caio. I'm going to check out every single one of you while I'm at it.'

Sulu left and Kirk caught him at the doorway, 'I can't find Chekov or Spock. Found Brian and Caio though.' Sulu nodded and left as Kirk walked out onto the balcony just as McCoy turned his attention back on Hasan.

'Jim, before the others start coming in, we've _got_ to find Spock. We should alert...'

Kirk hunched down next to McCoy, his eyes on Hasan, 'No, Bones. No way. We've got to find him ourselves. You've seen the news coverage. If word of this gets out, we risk blowing Spock's business all over the damned universe. I'm _not_ going to let that happen.'

'What business is that, Jim?' Hasan was awake and he frowned as the two looked down at him. He blinked rapidly, 'What happened to your face, Leonard?'

McCoy scowled, angry for a moment that Hasan might have over heard them, 'Oh for godssakes.' But he softened after a moment and squeezed Hasan's shoulder, 'It's nothing to worry about, kid. And don't you move until I check you out. Ah, you found it. Thank God.' He took his bag from Scotty.

'What's going on? I feel like shit.' Scotty stood behind McCoy, watching him wave his medical tricorder over Hasan.

'I'm not sure, Scotty. Get checked out by McCoy first.' Kirk got to his feet and went inside, he needed to track down their whereabouts last night.

Brian met him at the door, dressed fortunately, but looking woozy, 'This place is a mess! My god, how are you going to pay for all of this?'

Kirk just shook his head, 'I have no idea. Has Spock or Chekov turned up yet?'

Brian shook his head and went out to join McCoy and Hasan.

'Len, your tooth is missing.' Hasan sat up with McCoy's help, grimacing in pain.

'Yeah, I know.' McCoy said, helping the young man up to his feet, 'Well, you're dehydrated and it appears you've been slipped a variation of flunitrazepam. Damnit.'

Kirk stared at McCoy before looking back into the living room, 'You find Chekov or Spock?!' Kirk called to Sulu just as he and Caio came from the other side of the penthouse.

'No, not yet, but I'm going to go get dressed....' Sulu said.

Kirk said, 'Fine, just don't go into the bathroom. There's a tiger in there.'

'What?!' Sulu looked at Scotty who just sighed and nodded.

'Captain...I mean, Jim. What the hell's happened?!' Caio said, extremely concerned.

Kirk studied Spock's cousin, 'We're trying to figure that out....'

Sulu yelled from the back of the penthouse, 'I just found Chekov! He was up on the roof!' He came into the living room, 'It's accessible from the other balcony. He was there all day and he doesn't look so hot.'

'Oh jeez. Let me go look at him.' McCoy patted Hasan on the shoulder and then followed Sulu.

Caio continued, 'Jim, what're we going to do? Pavel's been found, but I'm worried that Spock's not here. It's just not like him...'

Kirk nodded, 'I know. Let's see if we can follow....' He stopped abruptly, unsure of what he just heard, then moved toward the sound.

Everyone on the balcony filed inside, meeting up with Sulu and a _very_ sunburned Chekov.

'Vhat was _that_?!'

'There it is again!'

'Where's it coming from though?'

Chekov had moved first, opening a closet in the hallway and gasped in surprise, 'In here! It's a _baby_!'

McCoy was the first to look over Chekov's shoulder, 'My god, so it is! Well, whose is it?!' McCoy looked at Kirk, who was crowding behind him to look at the baby.

He scowled at McCoy, 'Well, don't look at _me_ damnit!' Kirk muttered, 'God, you'll just never let that go will you?'

Chekov pushed back against the press of bodies behind him. He looked at McCoy, 'Is it...human?'

'Of _course_, it's human!' But McCoy only stood there and stared down at the baby, who was wrapped in a blanket and set in a carrier. The baby yawned.

Chekov cooed and waggled his fingers in front of the baby's face, 'Awww, he is crying!'

'How do you know he's a boy?' Sulu asked.

'Vell, look at him!' Chekov lifted the baby out and rested him on his shoulder, 'Now there, Anton, it will be _okay_.' He waited for the men behind him to clear a path, 'Hikaru, could you grab the baby bag in there?'

Sulu groaned and rolled his eyes, knowing he'd been drafted to help. He grabbed the bag and followed the rest of the men back into the living room.

* * *

McCoy spent a few minutes checking out each man with his tricorder, discovering that they'd all been slipped the same drug which accounted for the extensive short term memory loss. He sighed as he cleaned a laceration on Sulu's leg. They had also engaged in some exceptionally reckless and stupid behaviour while under the influence, that much was clear. What he was afraid of though, was how Spock may have reacted to the drug, but he'd have no way of knowing since the Vulcan was nowhere to be found. They couldn't even turn on the news since their over sized viewscreen had a tall bar stool sticking out of it.

While everyone waited their turn, each man spent some time looking up their financial records, hoping to glean some information about their whereabouts for the last twenty-four hours. Kirk even made everyone empty out their pockets.

It was there that Chekov made an unpleasant discovery, 'Oh _no_!' He was sitting on the arm of the couch while McCoy carefully applied a topical ointment to heal his sunburned back.

McCoy stopped, concerned, 'What's wrong, Pavel?'

Chekov held up a small, white tooth in his hand, 'I think I have something of yours, Dr. McCoy.'

'Son of a bitch! My lateral incisor! Damnit!' He wiped his hand on his pants and carefully took the tooth. He shook his head and put it in his own pocket, hoping that at some point he'd be able to re-attach it. 'I'm not blaming you, Pav. But I'd love to know why that's in _your_ pocket.'

Kirk closed his personal comm link with a snap, 'I...I don't believe it. It's gone. _Everything's_ gone!'

McCoy frowned, 'What Jim? What's gone?'

'My _money_. I don't have a single credit left! Fuuuuuuck!' Kirk almost leaned back against the wall, then remembered what was on his back and leaned forward, his head in his hands.

Scotty frowned, incredulous, 'It's _all_ gone? Do you know what happened?'

'Yeah, I do. I blew it all on this damn party. It seems that I paid for everything!' He opened his eyes and looked around, 'Well, what about you guys?'

Caio shrugged and shook his head, 'Nothing. No activity.' His brother nodded as well.

It was the same for McCoy, Sulu and Scotty.

'What about you, Pav?'

'Welllll....it seems I've acquired a rather hefty sum. Deposited last night into my account from the hotel casino downstairs.'

'Shit.' Kirk looked away, utterly disgusted with the turn of events.

McCoy could see the foul mood brewing in those hazel eyes and he swiftly intervened, 'That might be a good place to start for you guys. Pavel, why don't you and Sulu take Hasan and Brian here down to the casino and find out how exactly you acquired that money last night.' McCoy turned to Kirk, 'What do you think, Jim?'

Kirk sighed and rubbed his face, 'Good idea, Bones. Find out what you can, just try to be discreet ok? Don't let on that Spock's missing. And..uh, keep your eyes peeled for anything...unusual,' Kirk finished lamely, then turned to Scotty and Caio, 'You guys want to come with me to the jewelry store? Apparently, I blew a load buying Nyota's wedding ring.'

'Vait! What about ze baby!?'

Kirk smiled tiredly, 'You're in charge of....Anton, Pavel. Oh..and see if you can figure out who the hell that baby belongs to- that'd be a great lead. Maybe the mother knows what the hell went on last night. Ok, buddy up, gentlemen. I know that half of us lost their comm links, so just keep close to each other and let me know if you find anything useful.'

There were nods all around and a 'Yes, sir!' from Chekov.

It was dark now and they were all hurrying to leave the penthouse when Scotty turned to Kirk, 'Do you think housekeeping will stay out of the suite? I'm worried they'll find the tiger.'

McCoy waved a 'Do Not Disturb' sign, 'If they know what's good for them, they'll be takin' note.' He slipped the sign over the hook on the door, then slapped Kirk on the back, who cursed. 'Oh, hey man, I'm sorry. I forgot about that.' He giggled nervously and caught Scotty's eye, who turned away clamping his mouth together to keep from laughing too loudly.

But nothing was lost on Kirk who glared at both of them.

* * *

A/N: Visit my wordpress homepage that's linked in my profile for great pictures that I post with my stories. Thank you again for reading! :D


	3. Down the Rabbit Hole

**Character/Pairing:** Spock/Uhura, Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, Chekov, Sulu, OCs  
**Rating:** T  
**Summary:** The boys split up to find Spock. The young ones go to the casino, the oldsters to the jewelry store where they're led down a strange road.  
**Warning:** Swearing!  
**A/N:** I'm sorry it took so long for me to update this--plotting has been such a pain in the neck and this chapter got long. I've sketched out the rest, so there'll be about three more chapters in Vegas. There's alot going on here and I hope my plot holes won't become glaringly obvious in coming chapters.

* * *

They rode down together in the turbolift to the ground floor. Chekov, with a gurgling baby strapped to his chest, along with Sulu, Brian and Hasan, said their goodbyes to the others, and headed off to the casino.

Kirk, McCoy, Scotty and Caio went down to the valet to ascertain just where _exactly_ Caio's shuttle was docked. Caio handed over the claim ticket that had been found, rather miraculously, inside his shoe. They waited for several minutes by the dock, discussing where they would go after the jewelry store. Kirk stopped talking when he saw the hastily concealed astonishment on Caio's face, his eyes fixed over Kirk's shoulder onto the window.

The shuttle doors whooshed open and the valet came out, calling Caio 'Officer Grayson' when thanking him for his patience. Startled, Caio could only mutely nod his head and waited for the valet to move out of earshot.

There was an explosion of whispered 'What the fuck?!', but Kirk only shushed them all and herded them onto their 'shuttle'. The four men shuffled around silently for a moment, cramped in the tight quarters as the doors shut behind them. It was a holding cell with transparent barriers that would normally only hold three people comfortably, probably for two armed guards with a prisoner. As it was now, there were four of them crammed awkwardly inside, and desperately trying to respect each other's personal space.

'What the _fuck_ is going on here? What is this fucking thing anyway?'

'What, you don't recognize this, Bones? It's a prisoner transport vehicle.'

Scotty laughed heartily at Kirk's snide remark before McCoy's sharp elbow caught him in his midsection.

Kirk moved back to look at the control pad, causing the other men to bunch against the shuttle door, 'Ok, just hold on a minute, I think I've got this figured out....' He tentatively pressed a button and a narrow door slipped open. 'Alright, you two. In the back.' He grabbed McCoy's arm next to him and pushed him forward.

'What?!' Squawked McCoy, before Kirk shoved him and a protesting Scot into the back.

'The perfect place for you two. So _relax_ and enjoy the ride.' Feeling somewhat mollified, Kirk turned to Caio, 'You wanna drive?'

* * *

Chekov, Sulu, Brian and Hasan decided to eat and were seated at a table since Chekov thought it was immoral to sit at the bar. It also provided them an opportunity to let earlier events sink in. They watched the news on the viewscreen at their table and ate their 'breakfast', chatting pleasantly with their waiter and asking him if he remembered seeing a Vulcan around yesterday or last night.

But unfortunately, he hadn't since he wasn't on shift. Later on though, the same waiter came back and said he remembered Chekov now because he'd won a lot of money the other night and had been quite generous with the waitstaff.

There was some discussion and once finished with their dinner, the guys decided on their story: that the bachelor party was very involved in a scavenger hunt, one of which was finding Spock. When the waiter came back to clear their plates and present the bill, it was left to Sulu to ask him for help.

After some hedging, the waiter agreed to talk to the manager to see if the guys could look at the security feed from last night. They waited around for the head of operations to talk to them, and Sulu had been quite persuasive, namedropping both Kirk and Spock, and playing up the prestige of the captain's recent medal and Spock's upcoming 'royal' wedding.

Sulu couldn't tell if it was his spin or Chekov's money, but either way, they were all allowed access to the security control room, where they sat and waited some more, as a guard cued up last night's footage from the blackjack table.

* * *

When Caio landed the police vehicle at the jewelry store, there were a few double takes from passerby. He muttered that there were already two Officer Graysons in his family but he wasn't one of them. There'd been no consensus yet on how to deal with the misappropriated shuttle since Kirk was hell bent on re-tracing their steps, but Caio was determined to track down his missing luxury craft.

Once inside, they were immediately recognized and Kirk was surprised to learn that none of the salespeople noticed anything amiss about their group. No one had seemed drunk or under the influence at all. It had only been Kirk and McCoy who'd come into the shop along with Spock. Kirk questioned the clerk who waited on them, and she revealed that he'd paid for Spock's ring, a simple platinum band, because Spock said that he'd misplaced his wallet containing his debit token and he didn't have his identity card either, in order to charge it to his account.

That had been the only thing really unusual about the whole transaction, though the clerk admitted to being startled that _this_ was really Spock, the Vulcan prince who would soon be wedded to a human woman. Kirk could practically feel the other men's eyes roll in their sockets behind him as the clerk gushed on about how handsome Spock was and that she didn't give a damn about his Romulan ancestry since he was marrying such a dedicated Starfleet officer.

Just as she drew in a breath, Kirk cut her off with a smooth thank you and a smile, but then McCoy interrupted to ask her how she knew so much about Spock and Nyota. It was a moment before she responded as she reached under the counter to pull up a tabloid with flashing headlines and holovid captures. McCoy's eyes grew wide as he recognized Nyota, her hand raising in front of her face as a flash of light went off, over and over again as the holo looped. The clerk winked and grinned, allowing McCoy to take it, and said that any friend of the famous couple was a friend of hers.

'Do you believe this garbage?!' McCoy waved the thin broadsheet in the air once they got outside, 'We ain't been on Earth long enough for news to travel this fast!'

'Well man, what do you expect? People are bound to be curious, what with him being on the Enterprise _and_ bein' the sweet Vulcan prince 'n all.' Scotty stopped abruptly and walked over to a man on the sidewalk, who was distributing paper leaflets to pedestrians. 'Wait a minute, guys....' He returned with a leaflet advertising an all-you-can-eat buffet and bar, 'I think we went here afterwards...'

'Couldja stop thinking with your damned stomach for just _one_ blasted minute?!'

'Scotty's right, Bones. That was on the my list of transactions, but it was _after_ we went there.' Kirk pointed across the street to a comparatively nondescript building, nestled between a garishly decorated convenience store and a keno palace. 'Let's check it out for a minute.'

'Jim, I don't understand how Spock could've just misplaced his wallet like that,' said Caio, with a backwards glance at their parked transport. 'He didn't say anything about it from what I can remember.'

'So then it had to have happened somewhere after our dinner and....when? I don't understand how I can remember only up to the dinner two nights ago. What do you think, Bones?'

'I don't know, Jim. We seemed fine up to the jewelry store. The question is what place did we go where there was an opportunity to have slipped _all_ of us a mickey? Something tells me it wouldn't be a damned museum.' McCoy eyed one of the holograms he'd stopped in front of outside the building, noting the sweat beading on an upper lip that curled into a sneer.

The four men walked through the double doors and into a lobby lit dramatically with various spotlights and dancing holos of men and women from the early days of entertainment in Las Vegas.

'You never know, Bones. It's always the innocuous shit that gets us in the end.' Kirk went over to the counter to speak with the man selling admissions as the others drifted around to look at the old-fashioned posters lining the walls.

'Hey, Leonard! Take a look at this!' Caio beckoned urgently with his hand to McCoy, who hurried over to the wall outside the museum shop. He pointed up, 'We're looking pretty lucid here!'

McCoy chuckled at the holo that was pinned to the wall amidst a hundred other captures, then squinted, 'You're right. Looks like we were having a good time too. But definitely not wasted.'

Caio was already inside chatting with the sales associate, who had indeed recognized them and confirmed their sobriety. He bought the holo and McCoy took it down, showing it to Scotty whose laugh bounced around in the hall that was emptying of patrons.

Kirk came over, 'Look, the guy doesn't remember us, but I just want to take a look around....' He stopped when Scotty held up the holo and gave a tired laugh, 'Yet another thing I would've liked to have remembered.'

They were all dressed up in sharp suits with hats set at a jaunty angle and striking a pose. Scotty and Caio must've joined them here after they'd left the jewelry store. And Spock had still been with them...

'We were here last night, same time. Just before they closed...' said Caio.

'Can someone just pay the guy so I can get in there and take a look around?' Kirk cut him off, trying to soften his impatience with a fake grin. He could feel the minutes tick down in his head and felt the prickle of sweat on his back.

McCoy paid for all of them and they spent about thirty minutes inside, looking at the holos of people long dead who had entertained on the Strip during Las Vegas' early years. Kirk was in a hurry and left the three to trail in his wake.

'Spock _would_ want to come to a place like this.' McCoy lingered at one exhibit that detailed the early 20th century history of North American music later called 'rock 'n roll'.

Scotty stopped next to him, 'Aye, it's fascinatin'. But kinda creepy. I don't know really.'

'Why do you say that?' Caio asked.

'Well, with these holos, it's so easy to forget that they're all dead. It's kinda depressing.'

'Yeah,' McCoy laughed, 'that's one way of looking at it. But I'd love to come back here when Jim's not in a hurry.' He stared at one man with a pencil-thin mustache, his black hair slicked back and eyes wide expressively, playing an early electrified guitar as he sat back on his haunches and then 'walked' across the stage. McCoy swore to himself that he'd sell his soul to play the guitar like that man.

They caught up to Kirk in the last room, where visitors were invited to dress up as their favorite entertainer. Kirk was talking to a young woman who was taking the holos, then thanked her and joined them as they were leaving.

'Well?' McCoy asked, as he opened the doors that led to the street. They headed in the direction of Scotty's buffet restaurant.

Kirk sighed, 'Yeah, she remembers us. We were the last visitors to leave last night. Apparently....'

'Please don't tell me you've already slept with her, Jim.'

'Would you _stop_? No, she'd invited us to a party and gave me her number. But we never showed up...'

'Great, so we're gonna do process of elimination now? Jesus, Jim! This really has been a waste of time!'

'I'm trying to jog my memory, damnit!' He ran his fingers through his hair, deeply frustrated.

There was an awkward silence as they walked down the sidewalk for two blocks, then halted in front of the restaurant.

'Can we go over the time line? Because I'm confused,' said Scotty. 'We finished dinner around six. You,' he looked at Kirk, 'and Len went with Spock to the jewelry store. Me and Caio must've gone along for the ride and we came here. Then we met up at the museum? Right so far?'

Kirk looked up at the restaurant sign, 'Yeah. So that's about three hours accounted for. Well, let's go in and find out who waited on us.'

They were greeted cheerfully by the bartender when he saw Kirk and McCoy, but as soon as he saw Scotty he frowned and told them to get the fuck out. Stunned, Scotty could only stand there, his mouth gaping soundlessly, before he weakly protested. McCoy grabbed Scotty's arm and dragged him back outside, where they waited for Kirk and Caio.

When they came outside Kirk said, 'According to the bartender, you insulted the establishment's beer. That had been the final straw apparently.'

'That figures,' McCoy drawled as he shot a wry glance at Scotty, 'So what was the first straw?'

Caio picked up the story, 'The waitress said we had french fries with our beers and watched the news at the bar when Jim's medal ceremony came on. There were some remarks about the Vulcans by the other patrons. Naturally, we revealed ourselves to be Vulcan supporters and Scotty had said that he was the chief engineer of the Enterprise...'

'Oh god,' McCoy groaned, he could see _exactly_ how this discussion was going to end.

'Dammit man! He cursed my ship! He don't even know me or _her_, the bastard!'

'How do you know? You don't even remember the fight!'

'As if that matters!' Scotty said, red-faced and indignant.

'Gentlemen, _please_! The important thing we learned from her is that, before they got kicked out, Caio got a call and that we were going to see Tahrella Procyon's show. They managed to get directions to the club from the hostess before they were asked to leave.'

'Does that correspond to your spending so far, Jim?'

Kirk nodded at McCoy, 'Ok, let's get back and find the boys.'

* * *

They met up on the street corner across from the hotel since Kirk wanted to be discreet about 'tooling around town' as McCoy had put it, in something inherently '_un_discreet'. Kirk didn't even bother correcting him.

Chekov sat up front with Caio in the other pilot's seat, insisting that for the good of the baby he would not be squished in the back with the others. Brian had squeezed himself between the pilots' chairs, while Sulu, Hasan and Kirk piled in the back with McCoy and Scotty.

'This is fucking interminable!' McCoy shoved futilely against Kirk's back, though it did no good. Hasan was practically on top of him too and he fought down the feeling of being smothered.

Kirk tried to shift forward, 'No Bones, your damned _bitching_ is interminable.' But it was no use, he was wedged tightly between the wall of the shuttle and Hasan, who was right next to him.

Scotty's snickers were muffled behind Sulu's body.

'Report, gentlemen!' It had now been almost three hours since Spock had disappeared, maybe even longer for all they knew. The moon was bright and high up in the black, starless sky and Kirk was getting nervous. So far, there'd been no news reports. No wild animal attacks, no strange sightings. Nothing. Even bad news would've been welcome right now, but this.... vanishing without a trace left him unsettled.

The speaker hissed for a moment before Chekov's voice filled the holding cell. He was feeding the baby and soft gurgles and lip smacking sounds could be heard.

'Vell, we managed to sveettalk our vay into security. Money talks....'

'I think they were more impressed with who Spock was,' Sulu interrupted, 'It's not everyday you see a Vulcan at the casino.'

'What?!' said the others in disbelief.

Chekov continued, 'It's true. Mr. Spock was there at the blackjack table last night. He was there for two hours and he lost a _lot_ of money.'

McCoy sputtered, 'They _allowed_ a Vulcan to play? Wouldn't that set off an alarm or something?'

Sulu frowned, 'Why should it? They couldn't turn him away....'

'I know that, but Vulcans could take a casino to the bank!'

'Well, from the sounds of it, he was losing pretty bad. And besides, that would be cheating and we all know that--' said Kirk.

'Vulcans don't lie!' Chorused the rest of the men.

Kirk nodded, 'Exactly! So maybe Spock was just playing for fun--'

'No. No, I don't think that's the case. Even security vas initially suspicious of him. I...I think that either he or I or maybe both of us vere counting cards. I think the only thing that saved us vas precisely because Mr. Spock is Wulcan!'

'Odd that he'd want to play cards though. Even odder that he'd be losing so badly. Something must've been going on...' Kirk rubbed his jaw.

McCoy winced as he pushed Kirk forward again, 'Not odd if he was under the influence like everybody else. Who the hell knows! Maybe he thought he could win some money to pay you back!'

'That would've been nice. So, were you guys acting weird at all?'

The ensign shrugged, 'I was apparently having the time of my life, but no one really said anything about Spock.'

'And what time was this?'

'Around midnight.'

'Hmm. So, it was definitely after the museum...'

'Museum...?'

'Later, Chekov. We're going to the strip club next.'

* * *

McCoy stretched as he got out of the holding cell, 'I thought you said Tahrella Procyon was burlesque, Hasan?' He twisted his torso back and forth, trying to limber up.

'There's a difference, Leonard?' Hasan asked, grinning not so innocently.

'Ohhh yeah. There is.' McCoy looked up at the huge, multi-level complex that was awash in flashing colored lights. The place was in full swing with partygoers of all stripes. McCoy wished for the thousandth time that he had been sober the other night, though felt he could use a stiff drink _now_.

The Wild Orions Stripper Emporium was an old establishment that had seen many makeovers through the years and as people's tastes changed, so did the Wild Orion. Tahrella was indeed a burlesque dancer of the highest caliber, and they had all seen her perform in the main theater.

Afterwards though, they had migrated upstairs to the live nude dancing and had gotten a private VIP room, that much had been obvious according to Kirk's expense trail.

They were a motley looking crew and the stares from patrons and strippers didn't lessen, even after Kirk told Chekov to stop bouncing the baby around.

Kirk, Sulu and Caio ordered drinks and struck up conversations with the women on-stage. Eventually, Scotty got lucky with one who remembered them from last night. On the condition of moving the party to the VIP room and having private lap dances, she promised she would help them.

The younger guys were especially eager to participate, though coolly playing it off as if it were all part of the mission. McCoy groaned internally when Candi was soon joined by her squealing colleagues, Misty, Bambi, Destiny and Chastity. Then grinned evilly as he volunteered up Chekov to pay for the extra girls and the champagne.

Kirk nursed his drink as his eyes darted around the room, only half paying attention to Destiny's gyrating crotch as she straddled his thighs. He smiled winningly and eased her back, making excuses to go to the men's room and left. Without missing a beat, she moved on to a wide-eyed Hasan.

McCoy watched him go, hopeful that Kirk would glean some tidbit of information out in the club. In the meantime, McCoy sunk back into the deep cushions of his chair and invited Chastity to sit on his lap. He may as well relax while he could.

Candi and Scotty were getting very cozy in one corner of the room. They were taking turns sipping from the same flute of champagne. She had been making good on her promise to help jog his memory. When she asked if he wanted to procure some uppers like last time, his hands froze on her thighs, then proceeded their way up her naked back.

'Yeah, maybe later Candi. So do you remember if you saw my friend Spock last night?'

'Sure did, baby.' She grinned as she leaned closer to whisper in his ear, 'He's really hot. Too bad he's such a cold fish, even after we gave him--' She bit her lip and giggled before taking a long drink from the flute, finishing it off. Scotty obliged her by re-filling the glass quickly.

'Do you remember what we were talkin' about? Where we might've headed after we left you lovely ladies?'

Candi's laugh was high and fluttery, 'You took the party to go! Your crazy friend over there-' she looked over her shoulder at McCoy who was snuggled up with Chastity, then grinned back down at Scotty, '--he fell really hard last night!'

'What do you mean? He's fine!'

'No, silly!' Warm champagne breath waved over Scotty's face. He took the flute from Candi's hand and set it on the side table.

'What do you mean he fell?'

'Well, he was desperate to impress a girl and plucked his little toofy out! Now, baby, how about another dance?' She crooned into his ear and licked the outer shell.

Scotty shivered, then closed his eyes and thought of the Enterprise. When he opened them, Kirk was standing at the door of the VIP room.

'Sorry to break up the party, boys. But it's time we hit the road.'

Just then, a huge man in a white suit, who Scotty was sure had Klingon ancestry, loomed behind Kirk. The bouncer's presence threw a pall over the proceedings and the five girls quickly stood and then fled the room under his hard stare.

The rest of the men got up silently, amidst the loud music and glinting mirror balls, and followed Kirk out of the room.

McCoy and Scotty fell in beside Kirk who muttered, 'Wait. Just wait until we're outside.'

The bouncer followed the group right out to the sidewalk and watched them as they made their way to the parked police vehicle.

It wasn't until they were finally up in the air when McCoy barked, 'Well? What the fuck was that all about?'

'I think that's where we were drugged last night--' Kirk stopped for a moment as Scotty ayed him in confirmation. 'Talking to the bartender--the place recently changed ownership. Most of the girls are new, same for the staff.'

'Well, what the hell does _that_ mean?'

Caio spoke up from the front, 'It could mean nothing, or it could be that the ownership is shady--'

'Damnit, we don't have time to solve a mystery, especially when Sherlock's the one that's missing!'

'Candi said that the party moved on, but she didn't say where. She did say that you took your tooth out to impress a girl.'

McCoy's mutterings were drowned out by Sulu and Scotty's laughter.

Kirk gave directions to Caio for their next visit: Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel.

* * *

It was getting to be routine, that they would enter a place and immediately be recognized. It was no different at the wedding chapel.

Well, it was a _little_ different.

'What?! Let me see that!' McCoy grabbed the box of wedding mementos and pulled out a mug that bore a picture of him wearing a toothy grin. In his arms was a surprisingly sober looking, though very attractive and shapely young woman.

Kirk shot a glare over his shoulder at the muffled chuckles of Scotty and Sulu.

'Yeah, man! I don't know how you did it, but she was really _really_ into you!' The proprietor smiled happily and handed Kirk a holo.

Sure enough, Kirk saw that he had been best man for McCoy. Spock was there beside him along with the others. There were several bridesmaids there, Candi being among them as well.

There was a simultaneous gasp from Kirk and McCoy as their eyes settled on one minor detail at almost the same time.

'I know right?!' Said the proprietor in response to their collective gasp. 'You bagged Tahrella Procyon! The hottest fucking dancer in Vegas!' The man reached over and slapped McCoy on the shoulder in congratulations. Behind them, Scotty and Sulu erupted in laughter as the other guys exclaimed their astonishment and disbelief to each other.

But that wasn't what Kirk and McCoy had noticed. No, they had both noticed the pointed ears that poked out of Tahrella's long flowing black tresses.

McCoy calmly handed the mug back to the proprietor, 'I want this annulled.'

'You know, not anyone can say that they bagged a hot stripper. And Vulcan to boot! Never knew that Vulcans were even _allowed_ to dance. I've seen _everything_ now.' The man shook his head and laughed, 'Well, you sure about this?'

'Yes goddamnit I'm sure! FUCK!' He turned on his heel and stormed out of the chapel.

The guys fell silent for a moment. Chekov coughed, then bounced the baby when it started crying.

Kirk looked over the marriage papers that the proprietor handed over, 'Can you use the refund from the marriage to pay for the annulment?' The wedding was legit. He memorized Tahrella's address as he noted that she was indeed a Vulcan citizen.

'Sure, I can apply that to the annulment fee. But annulments cost more you know.'

'_Shit_.' Well that sure figured didn't it? 'Chekov get over here and take care of this!' He folded up the marriage papers and tucked them into his pocket.

* * *

'Damnit Jim! It's easy for you to say it's not a big deal! Fuck you! You've never been married before, let alone be in a stable relationship.' McCoy paced outside the chapel. 'You think I have it easy being divorced? That shit almost fucking _killed_ me!'

Kirk leaned against the wall of the building, watching as his friend vented. He felt bad for his botched attempt at comfort, but he honestly didn't know what he could say to make it better, 'Look, Bones. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I'm just saying that it's a situation that's easily corrected.'

McCoy whirled around, 'Easily corrected?! Is that what life _is_ to you? Do you think I wanted it like this? To be _that_ guy who's divorced? Twice?! My parents were married for thirty years before---' He looked away.

Kirk looked away too, wincing for having brought up the painful reminder of McCoy's father.

McCoy heaved a deep sigh, 'It wasn't supposed to be like this.' His shoulders slumped forward and he brought a hand up to rub his eyes.

Kirk put his hands on McCoy's shoulders and squeezed, 'Hang in there, Bones. I need you right now.' He patted him on the shoulder when McCoy nodded.

Sulu came out just then, followed by the others, and gave McCoy an awkward one armed hug.

Chekov handed McCoy the annulment documents, 'Vell, you are a free man now Dr. McCoy. But if you don't mind, I'll be taking the box of wedding mementos since they've been paid for.' His wide grin did not falter, even when McCoy shot him a poisonous look.

* * *

A/N: Please be sure to visit me on wordpress homepage as I've posted some cute pics!


	4. Midnight Special

**Character/Pairing:** Spock/Uhura, Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, Chekov, Sulu, OCs  
**Rating:** T  
**Summary:** After leaving the wedding chapel, they head to Tahrella Procyon's home looking for more answers.  
**Warning:** Swearing!  
**A/N:** Previous: Coming Home The story, it progresses. I'm sorry that Spock hasn't shown up in either Vulcan or werewolf form yet. I'm just following the Hangover blueprint. lol But the guys will be making progress in the next chapter and hopefully I'll be able to work in Spock's big entrance. Thank you everybody! :D

* * *

Scotty broke the silence as they rode in the police shutte, his speculations muffled by Sulu's back.

_'What_ did he just say?' McCoy asked, exasperated since finding out he'd married a Vulcan stripper at a quickie wedding chapel.

'He _said_ he thinks that Spock and Chekov were counting cards under the influence!' said Sulu too loudly. And unnecessarily, since McCoy was right next to him.

'Well, that'd explain _that_, wouldn't it? But _why?_ Why cheat at cards to lose?'

'I think it vas a scam, Leonard. Ve vere running a _scam_!' Chekov was clearly horrified.

'Maybe it's connected to the Wild Orions place?', said Brian, hazarding a guess from his front seat, squished between Caio and Chekov. 'I mean, if you're going to drug clients, it's probably to gain control over them for money or something. Maybe they got a hold over us--'

McCoy leaned over sideways to talk between Kirk and Hasan's torsos, 'But _what_? Spock was still with us! What hold could they've possibly had over us to run a scam on a casino?'

There was more silence as the men pondered on what could've possibly persuaded Spock and Chekov to do such a thing.

Brian shrugged, 'Blackmail?'

'On _Spock_? No way.' McCoy pointed at Chekov, who started bouncing the baby on his chest nervously. 'Alright, Pavel. What's in your closet? Any girls you get--'

'Vhat?! No!' He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. 'Ve were just under the influence! Maybe ve were conducting an experiment!'

Caio had landed the police shuttle and Brian was already unlocking the back so that the five men could finally scramble outside and stretch out. McCoy closed his eyes briefly as he breathed in the fresh night air with relief.

'What kind of place is _this_?,' said Hasan. 'It's so....kinda sad.' The others faced his direction and they looked up at the plain brown facade of the apartment complex. 'How can such a big star live in a place like this? It doesn't make sense. She should be a very rich woman!'

'We'll find out soon enough.' Kirk sprinted up the stairs, glancing at door numbers as he walked down the second floor walkway. He found the one he wanted and pressed the buzzer.

They crowded in behind him and he waved them to stand back, not wanting the bunch of them to seem intimidating to a woman, Vulcan or not.

Kirk's head whipped around when the apartment door slid open and he gave his brightest smile, 'Hello? Is Ms. Procyon....' His voice trailed off when the door slid open all the way and revealed one of the most beautiful women he'd seen in _quite_ some time.

Tahrella, statuesque and starkly beautiful, had luxuriant black hair flowing half way down her back. Kirk tried to keep his eyes locked on hers, but couldn't help dropping a glance to her breasts when she broke eye contact with him to look over at Chekov.

As she let slip a small gasp of relief, Kirk let himself be dragged into the apartment by his arm. When they were all pulled inside, she locked the door behind them and headed straight for Chekov.

'Sa-fu!' She cooed, as she gently lifted the baby out of Chekov's harness and sweetly kissed the baby's brow, 'I tried to call you several times, _adun_.' Tahrella's black eyes flashed at McCoy and he stared back dumbfounded.

Of all the women he'd imagined, he had not expected her to be so...so incredibly _attractive_. And rather personable. McCoy and Kirk glanced at each other with uncertainty.

'We've been trying to reach you ourselves, but we got side-tracked with some other things....' Kirk purposely trailed off, hoping that Tahrella would fill in the conversational blanks.

But Tahrella wasn't Candi, Destiny, Misty or Chastity. Despite her emotional reunion with her son, she appeared quite Vulcan and merely lifted an eyebrow at him in a similar manner to Spock. Kirk felt a pang of guilt and fear at that reminder. Spock was still missing and possibly in danger.

After she gave her son another kiss, she walked over to the other side of the apartment and sat on a couch, cradling the infant in her arms. Sulu brought over the baby carrier and set it on the table in front of her. As she laid the baby into the carrier, Chekov took off his harness and dropped the diaper bag to the floor next to her.

McCoy pulled Kirk to the side, '_Jim._ Did you see the _ring_ she's wearing?' He glanced over his shoulder at the young woman bantering with Sulu, Hasan, Chekov and the others about her performance that they'd all presumably still didn't remember.

After a moment, Kirk saw the glint of the wedding band on Tahrella's hand. He sighed, 'Shit. Look, you better get her to sign your annulment papers first. I know you're anxious to make it official.' Kirk paused, 'But press her about Spock, Bones. Time's a-ticking'

'Fine. Let _me_ do the talking.' Clearing his throat, McCoy eased around the coffee table and sat next to Tahrella on the couch, 'Excuse me now for a moment, young lady.' He swore that her dark brown eyes twinkled with amusement at him.

'Yes, adun?' She quirked an eyebrow as if daring him to contradict her.

He shifted uncomfortably under her direct and knowing gaze, 'Uhh...obviously things got a little carried away the other night and I think it'd be best if we could get this thing annulled right away.' He produced a data solid, noticing that the others had suddenly found the rest of her apartment to be quite _fascinating_.

She glanced down at the cube in his hand, 'Leonard, are you sure? You were so adamant last night that I couldn't refuse your proposition.' Her hand lightly settled over the cube, her fingers brushing his own.

McCoy wondered if he was possibly interpreting her wrong, since her gaze seemed somewhat flirtatious. He glanced around her apartment, noting the spartan and shabby furnishings that didn't seem to be a conscious design choice. He dropped his voice so the other men wouldn't overhear, 'Look Tahrella, did we....last night. At any point in time. Did I ever behave....did we....you know...since we got _married_.....'

Amusement colored her voice as she leaned forward, her face close to his, 'Yes, Leonard. _Several_ times in fact. For a man your age, your prowess was quite impressive. My time as Mrs. McCoy has been quite...enjoyable.' She gently closed his mouth with her hand, then took the cube from his nerveless fingers with the other.

He stared at her retreating back after she'd excused herself from their company, stating that she wished to read the annulment on her computer first before sending her signature to the chapel. With her baby on her hip, she went into her bedroom, firmly shutting the door.

Next thing McCoy knew, Kirk was waving his hand in front of his face, 'What the hell did she say to you, Bones? Did you ask her about Spock?'

He blinked, then winced guiltily, 'Damn, I kinda asked her about some other stuff--'

'_Damnit_, Bones!' Kirk ran a hand through his hair, ignoring the looks from the others standing around. 'We're entering a damn critical stage here. If we can't find him soon, then the authorities will have to get involved!'

'Uhhhh. Guys, I think--' Before Sulu could turn from the window to look at them, the doors to Tahrella's apartment were blown open, sending everyone to the ground hard.

Startled by the sudden, loud noise, McCoy covered his his head with his arms and curled up into a ball. Then, there was a very bright flash and a loud bang. He covered his ringing ears and tried to stand, but fell onto the couch, disoriented and shaky.

Wiping at his watering eyes as his ears started to clear, he was hauled to his feet by black clad officers with a large LVPD written in white block letters on their vests. He couldn't see their faces since they were wearing mirrored helmets.

'Jim! Scotty!' But McCoy couldn't see them, since the apartment was swarmed with cops.

'Shut up!'

He was pushed out of the apartment and saw that the others were outside already. They were all lying face down, their legs spread and hands laced behind their heads. McCoy slowly got to his knees, muttering a prayer, before a boot shoved him roughly down to the ground.

'Jesus!' McCoy snapped his mouth shut when another boot hit him in the thigh as a warning. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Brian next to him with a wide-eyed look of fear. On the other side was Kirk, whose face was obscured by his bent arms.

They were all frisked, cuffed and hauled back to their feet. By that time, there was a small group of neighbors that were gathered outside their apartments, watching the commotion silently. McCoy cringed and turned his face away from them. When he looked over the railing from the second floor walkway, he saw four police shuttles, lights still flashing, surrounding their--no, not theirs, but the LVPD's shuttle that they'd....borrowed.

McCoy was put into the back of one of the shuttles, Hasan following after him. McCoy slumped in his seat, 'Well, kid, at least we've got some breathing room now.'

Hasan shook his head and stared at him, 'Leonard, my parents will _kill_ me when they find out about this!'

McCoy rested his head against his seat, staring up blankly, 'One step at a time, Hasan. Let's get to the station first and deal with the booking. We'll make our calls and then talk about what options we have.'

The young man gave him a wary look, 'You sound awfully familiar with this procedure, Leonard.'

McCoy flashed him a small, tired smile, 'Yeah.'

* * *

It was well past the witching hour by the time they were processed. They were charged with stealing state property to which Kirk announced that it was time for him to make a call.

But McCoy didn't give a shit at that point _who_ Kirk called. He tried to remember the name of the last lawyer he'd hired, but failed, then resigned himself to calling his sister, who he was sure would _not_ be pleased.

He weighed the ramifications of having an arrest and possible conviction on his record and what that would mean for his career, not to mention his relationship with Joanna. God, _Joanna_. He leaned forward and put his head in his hands, when he felt someone sit next to him.

'I think I may have worked out a deal.' Kirk said grimly.

McCoy's head snapped up, 'With _who_? We're charged with _grand theft_, Kirk. We're not just gonna waltz away from this one.'

Kirk lowered his voice, his head leaning in close to whisper, 'Would you work with me here? I just called the Vulcan embassy, trying to get a hold of Sarek--'

'_What_?'

'Will you shut _up_ and _listen_ to me? God!' Kirk's annoyed look was enough to quiet McCoy, so he continued, 'They told me to wait. They're sending a lawyer.'

'Oh thank _god_. A _Vulcan_ lawyer. Do you _want_ us to go to jail? They like pretty boys like you, Jim.'

Kirk stared at him, 'Why are you such an asshole?'

McCoy sighed and rubbed his eyes. He was tired, frustrated and highly irritable. Taking it out on Jim was not helping anybody in this situation. He couldn't understand why he was reacting this way, especially since they'd been in tighter situations.

He was starting to apologize when the rest of the guys came over and sat next to them after being been processed. Their merry band of men were looking downright _horrified_ by the turn of events and all because of a bachelor party that went a little wild.

* * *

**A/N:** As usual, please stop by my wordpress site for the pretty pictures. Plus, I've since uploaded some fan art that I had commissioned for other/future stories.


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